Be My Escape
by TheHeroAndHisBrit
Summary: Roxas has a hard life at home...Angst, Abuse, Yaoi, Rape...Rating for caution...
1. Im The Son Of Rage And Love

**AN-** Hey guys. Yea, I'm starting a new one! I promise I will continue with Fire and Ice. I have no intention of abandoning that story!! I really want to do this one though because it holds a special meaning to me…thanks you guys! I love you all!

I don't own it, don't sue me! That was the disclaimer, by the way.

Warning! This story contains a LOT of angst. There is going to be physical abuse and possibly rape. If you don't like that sort of thing I suggest you hit the back button at the top of your screen!

xXxX

I sat cross legged on my bed. The lights were low and music was softly playing. Pictures and posters of various music groups dotted the black walls. On the far wall, there was a single small window. A piece of black fabric covered the window, blocking out most of the sunlight. There was a good sized desk in the corner, and on that desk sat my laptop. In the corner opposite the desk, there was a dresser stuffed with various articles of dark colored clothing. More clothing hung in the closet near the bed.

Taking a deep breath, I stood up. I made my way across the room and slid open the closet door. I grabbed a pair of black Tripp pants. I pulled them on and took out a blood red 'AFI' t-shirt that matched the stitching on the pants perfectly. Putting it on, I glanced at the clock. I only had ten minutes to get to school. Picking up my messenger bag, I slung it over my shoulder and picked up my keys from the dresser. Then I left my room, closing the door behind me.

"Roxas?" I froze when I heard my name. Tensing up, I turned around to face my step father. I had almost made it out before he caught me.

"Y-yes?" I asked. I swallowed back my fear as best as I could. Without saying a word, he grabbed my wrist and pulled me into the kitchen. I struggled to get free but all that did was make him tighten his grip. He forcefully pushed me, making me fly back and hit a wall.

"You left the light on in the hall last night," he growled. "Do you have any idea how much it costs me when you leave the lights on?" He pulled his hand back and I shut my eyes tightly. Three seconds later, I felt his fist connect with my face. Grabbing my head, he slammed it back into the wall. Then he walked out the front door, leaving me there. Shaking, I picked up my bag and walked out to the main hall. I wiped a tear from my cheek and walked out the door. I got into my black Mustang and shut the door. Leaning my head on the steering wheel, I cried my eyes out, wishing my mother was still alive to help me.

xXxX

I glanced up at the clock as I entered the school. I was twenty minutes late, and my first period class was just about half over. Deciding there was no point in going, I turned around and walked into the cafeteria.

The large, white room was empty this early in the morning, and I was grateful. I put my bag down on one of the large, square tables and sat on one of the plastic chairs. Another tear ran down my face. More than anything, I wanted to get out of that house. I just wanted to get up and leave. That would stop all the pain. The physical and mental abuse. It needed to end.

Everything had been okay in the beginning. I had a mother and brother who loved me very much. I had a lot of friends at school and I made decent grades. I was on my high school's football team. I was the guy everyone wanted to be. The "lucky kid". Everything was great. I liked my life, just the way it was. But then, my mother started dating. At first, they were nice guys who treated us good. But they all had an excuse to leave. None of them stuck around for long. Finally, my mother got so depressed, that she started going to bars and clubs, coming home drunk almost every night. She almost always had a new guy with her. That's when things started to get really bad. One night, she brought home a guy I had never seen before. Thinking this was going to be like all the other one night stands, I thought nothing of it. I went upstairs for the night. When I got up the next morning though, he was still there. I remember my mother telling me they had been married the night before. I didn't question the details. I didn't really care. She was an adult and I was barely fifteen. I remember thinking that people do stupid and impulsive things when they are drunk.

The weeks went by, and they fought constantly. I could tell she didn't want him there anymore. She was afraid of him though, and couldn't kick him out. One night, I walked in on one of the worst fights I had ever seen. I will always remember that night crystal clearly.

**Flashback**

"Mom, I'm home!" I called from the door way. I got no answer, but I could hear a heated argument taking place in the kitchen. I quietly walked into the doorway and leaned against the frame. I didn't want to get involved in their fight, but it was a new rule that I had to check in every time I came home. My mother had set that rule after the first time my step father had beaten her up. She wanted to make sure he hadn't hurt me while she was out.

"Don't you talk to me like that you little whore!" he screamed at her. My hands balled into fists. She didn't deserve this. I could see that she was crying. "You crying!?" he roared at her. "I will give you something to cry about!" As he said that, he pulled a gun from his inside jacket pocket and put a bullet in her head. I screamed as she fell to the floor, bleeding and dead.

**End Flashback **

After that, we moved out of state. The police mistook the murder for an accident and my step father was given custody of me and my brother. My brother however, had different ideas. He was almost eighteen, so he walked out the front door and we never saw him again.

xXxX

A single tear rolled down my face as I sat in an empty classroom. The school day was over but I didn't want to go home .I knew there would be a consequence, but I couldn't bring myself to walk out of the building and to my car. I was too afraid, and therefore, weak. I dug around in my pocket for twenty-three seconds and pulled out a small, blue pocket knife. My mother had given it to me, back when we were a happy family. I brought the cold metal blade to my ankle. I never cut my wrists. The cuts would be far to easy to spot and I liked wearing t-shirts. I grimaced as the blade cut deeper into my skin. When I thought about it, I never could come up with a reason why I do this. I just do it. It doesn't help any, only makes most things worse.

"Roxas! What are you doing!?" Startled, I looked up to see my two best friends standing in the doorway. Axel and Demyx ran over to where I sat.

"It's nothing," I told them, fear present in my voice. They knew nothing about my home life. I couldn't tell them! They would turn away from me. But they were my best friends! They would stay until the end…right? Demyx reached out and took the knife from my shaking hands.

"What's going on, Roxas? This isn't nothing. Tell me what happened," Demyx said in a soft, soothing tone. Axel nodded.

"Please Roxas," the redhead said. "We want to help."

"It's nothing really," I assured them. "I'm fine." They didn't look convinced. I thought quickly. "I just…miss my mother, that's all." Axel nodded, but I'm pretty sure Demyx knew something else was going on. He sighed and stood up. Holding out his hand, he pulled me up.

"Want to spend the night at my house?" Demyx offered. I hesitated. If I said no, he would know something was up. He would want to know why.

"Sure!" I answered. I was going to get in huge trouble for this tomorrow.

"Axel, you can come too," the taller blonde added.

"Okay," the redhead said with a smile. I walked in between Axel and Demyx, my two best friends. As I got into the car, I realized that they were the only ones since my mother to show me any type of affection.


	2. A Little Sliver Of Light

**AN- **Hey guys. I don't really have anything to say here so I will just get right into chapter two!

"Hurry up Roxas!" Demyx called from the doorway. I jogged the rest of the way up the walk and shoved past Demyx. I was barely in the door when a playful golden retriever puppy came charging down the stairs and launched itself at me. I was almost knocked over as the puppy began to franticly lick my face.

"MUTT! GET DOWN!" I looked up to see Larxene standing in front of me. Larxene and Demyx were twins, but they couldn't be more different. Larxene was always yelling, and seemed quite angry while Demyx was always cheerful. Demyx laughed too much at times. Larxene, on the other hand, barely cracked a smile.

I placed the puppy, apparently named Mutt, on the floor by my feet.

"Hello Larxene," I said to the blond girl.

"Hello Roxas," she answered. Then she turned on her heels and marched back up to her room, Mutt at her heels.

"She loves that dog," said Demyx. "She loves him but she won't ever admit it." I looked at him, knowing it was true.

xXxX

Demyx, Axel, and I were sprawled out in Demyx's living room. Demyx and Axel each had a Game Station controller in their hands. I was only half watching as they attempted to beat each other in whatever game they were playing. Staring off into space, I started to think. I didn't even notice Demyx get up and turn off the Game Station.

"Roxas…?" I heard someone faintly calling my name. I couldn't tell who it was, and they sounded so far away. "Roxas!" I heard again, and this time the owner of the voice shook my shoulders. Snapping back into reality, I looked up into the worried faces of Axel and Demyx.

"Oh…sorry. What?" I asked. My two friends exchanged concerned glances.

"Roxas, are you okay?" Demyx asked. "You seem kind of out of it." I sat up a little more and looked at the two of them. How could I tell them that I was thinking about the severe beating I would get when I got home? I would have to tell them the whole story, and that would only make them worry more!

"Im fine," I told them. It was a lie of course, but they didn't know that.

"As long as you're sure…" Demyx said, flashing me his trademark smile. Axel held out his hand for me. I grabbed it and allowed myself to be pulled off the couch and into the kitchen.

xXxX

Demyx was standing at the counter, a look of pure confusion on his face. Axel was laughing so hard, he needed to lean on the door frame to keep from falling over and I was giggling uncontrollably next to him.

"I swear I put that spoon right here!" Demyx cried, pointing to a random spot on the counter. "Where the heck could it have gone?" He continued to stare at that spot.

"Dem," Axel said, "the spoon obviously isn't there. It's not going to magically appear, no matter how hard you stare at it. Why don't you just get another spoon?" He was starting to regain the ability to stand.

"I want that one!" Demyx yelled in response. "I don't understand it!" At that moment, Larxene came bursting into the kitchen.

"Would you three kindly shut the hell up?" she asked as she glared at us. The dim lighting made he look pure evil. Axel, who now had control of himself, stepped up behind her.

"Oh Demyx?" he said, trying to get the taller blondes attention. Demyx looked up at him and made a small noise. Axel held a spoon above Larxene's head. Demyx's eyes lit up.

"SPOOOON!!!!" he yelled, launching himself at Larxene. The blonde girl shrieked as her brother landed on top of her.

"You moron! Get off of me! NOW!" she yelled. Demyx grabbed his spoon from Axel.

"You had it this whole time?" he asked the redhead. Axel was laughing so hard, he was barely able to nod. Demyx jumped up off of Larxene and lunged at Axel. The blonde caught the redhead behind the knees. Axel tumbled over, landing on top of Demyx, who yelped in pain. I couldn't hold back any longer and I burst out laughing. Larxene quickly got up and made her way across the kitchen. She glared at he brother and yelled something completely inaudible, before turning on her heal and retreating back to her room.

I looked from the doorway back to my two friends who were still tangled up in a heap on the floor. There was another loud yelp, this time from Axel, as Demyx bit his stomach.

"What the hell was that for?" Axel asked the blonde, who was struggling underneath him.

"Get off!" Demyx answered. Axel looked thoughtful for a second. Then an evil grin spread across his face.

"I don't want to," the redhead stated. Demyx looked absolutely horrified. He always was a drama queen. The sitar player turned his head to look at me.

"Roxas help me!" he whined. I walked over to the pair. Grabbing onto Axel's shirt, I attempted to pull him from the other. Considering I was about half his size, I didn't succeed. Demyx began to whine loudly, making a bunch of random noises. There was the sound of feet thumping down on stairs, and then Larxene entered the kitchen. Without saying a work, she walked over and pulled Axel off of her brother. Still holding onto him, she walked back across the kitchen, dragging Axel with her. She let go of him right before exiting the kitchen and climbing the stairs once more.

"Well that was weird," I said. Demyx stood up before Axel could jump on him again.

Axel however, had forgotten all about annoying the taller blonde. He looked up at his friend and said, "Demyx, your sister just dragged me across your kitchen," in a low voice. Demyx smiled.

"I know. I was right here."

Exiting the kitchen, we all settled into random spots around the living room. I yawned and my eyes began to close. The last thing I remember thinking before I fell asleep was how lucky I was to have friends like these two.


	3. Tears Of Hate, Tears Of Hope

**AN-** Hey, what's up? Chapter three already! I promise Fire and Ice will be updated soon. I have not forgotten about it. I have started writing chapter eight so have no fear! I have nothing further to say other than please review and tell me what you think. Thanks guys! Here is chapter three!

My eyes slowly fluttered open and I yawned. Sitting up, I had to squint against the bright sunlight that was shining through the window. I stretched and looked around. Axel was sprawled out in the middle of the floor. Demyx had disappeared from the spot he had occupied the night before. I could smell the distinct aroma of bacon cooking, so I jumped up from my spot on the couch and wandered into the kitchen.

"Hello Roxas!" Demyx said happily. He was standing at the stove cooking bacon and pancakes. I mumbled a greeting and wondered how he could be so cheerful this early in the morning.

I glanced up at the clock above the door frame. It was almost ten.

"Dem, I have to leave soon," I told the blonde who was now putting the food onto a plate.

"Eat first," he said, setting the plate down in front of me. I nodded and he handed me a fork. About that time Axel wandered into the kitchen and sat heavily down at the table. Demyx set a plate of food in front of him. The redhead made a sound that could have been translated into 'thank you'. Unlike Demyx, Axel wasn't much of a morning person.

I finished my food and stood up.

"Well Dem, I really have to get going. Thank you," I told him. I said my goodbyes and walked out the door.

xXxX

Pulling into my driveway, I was not happy to see that my step-father was home. I turned off the engine and slowly made my way into the house. The minute I opened the door, he was in my face.

"Where the hell have you been!?" he screamed. I explained to him that I had been out. I didn't tell him where I had been, in fear that he might harm my friends. He pulled back and I flinched as his fist connected with my face. I had to try my very hardest not to cry. I would never cry in front of him. I couldn't give him that satisfaction. He was screaming at me, but I had no idea what he was saying. I had learned long ago how to block him out. I saw him pull his fist back again, and I braced myself for the blow. I expected him to hit me in the face, but this time he hit my stomach. My knees crumpled underneath me and I fell to the floor. Taking this opportunity, he stopped yelling for a moment and kicked me hard in the stomach. I yelped in pain, making him smile.

I thought I heard a light thump coming form the front entryway but I was in too much pain to look up. Gritting my teeth, I suppressed a scream as I was kicked again. Then he was on his knees by my side. I had to try even harder not to cry as my pants were violently ripped from my body. Opening his own pants with one hand, he pushed his other hand onto my chest, pinning me down. I was able to get only one punch in before he remembered to tie my hands above my head. He replaced the hand on my chest with his knee for a minute as he reached up and pulled a rope from a small hook on the wall. I grimaced as the rope was tied so tightly, it was cutting into the skin on my wrists. Closing my eyes, I yelped as he entered me. He was not gentle about it and it hurt. Tears threatened to fall as he viciously thrust in and out. I had long ago stopped struggling against him. He was a lot bigger than I was, and could easily damage me more if he wanted to. I just had to wait it out, hoping he would finish quickly. When he was done, he stood up and refastened his pants. He stomped down onto my hand as he left me there. I sighed and let the tears flow as soon as I heard the front door slam.

As I lay there, bloody and crying, I heard something moving around in the next room. When I looked up, Demyx was standing in the doorway, a horrified expression painted across his normally cheerful features.

"R-Roxas…" he said, his voice shaking. "Why didn't you tell me?" He came over to where I was now sitting with my back against the wall and kneeled next to me.

"I…I don't know…" I answered truthfully. More tears came as Demyx gathered me into his arms and hugged me tightly. I rested my head on his shoulder and cried. We stayed like that for a long time, neither one of us speaking.

xXxX

As Demyx and I walked down the quiet path, I told him the whole story. He listened as I told him of my mother's death and the abuse that occurred after it. I told him about my brother Sora, and how I hadn't seen him in almost seven years. I rattled on and on, and Demyx listened, nodding occasionally to show he was still listening. When I was done telling my story, I looked up into his face. We stopped walking and just stared at each other. Demyx looked lost for words. For a second I was afraid he would run, turn away from me like everyone else did. I was afraid he would blame me. Finally he spoke.

"Oh…Rox…" The taller blonde pulled me into a tight and I rested my head on his shoulder. More tears came as he hugged me. I hastily wiped them away with my shirt sleeve. Demyx pulled back and held me at arms length. He smiled at me, and I smiled weakly back.

"Thank you," I whispered softly. Demyx blinked a few times.

"For what?" he asked. "I didn't do anything out of the ordinary." I laughed a little bit. It was just like Demyx to help someone out and not even realize it.

"For being here for me when I needed you. For not turning away. For not blaming me, but trying to comfort me instead. Thank you for being you," I answered. He smiled brightly at me and pulled me close again.

"Anytime," he said. "I'm always here for you, no matter what."

xXxX

I pushed the front door open and sighed in relief to find that my step-father still had not returned. He was probably out drinking in some bar and wouldn't return until much later, if I was lucky. Demyx walked in behind me. The two of us climbed the stairs to the second level, and walked down the narrow hallway that let to my room. In our old house, back before our family was torn apart, back when everything was alright, there was a hallway just like this one. That hallway had held many memories in the form of pictures. The walls on both sides of the hall had been covered in photographs of Sora, mom, and I taken from numerous summer vacations, school field trips, sporting events, and many of the other things we had done as a family.

Demyx and I reached my small bedroom and went inside. I sat on the bed and Demyx sat beside me. He wanted to know more about my mother and Sora. I got up and walked over to my closet. Kneeling down, I started rummaging around at the bottom of the closet.

"What are you looking for?" Demyx asked as I tossed aside clothes, shoes, and other random items.

"You'll see," I told him. He sighed.

"Roxas, this is why you shouldn't keep your closet so messy," he said, a hint of exasperation in his voice.

"It's my closet, not yours," I started and the sitar player rolled his eyes. "Besides, it's like this for a reason."

"Oh? And what might that reason be?" Demyx was growing more and more impatient. That was one thing I didn't like about him. He could never just sit and wait. He always had to know what was going on and if he didn't know, he was going to be annoying until he found out. I tossed a black and white t-shirt aside and finally found what I was looking for. I twisted my head around to look Demyx in the face.

"A messy closet is a good hiding place," I told him. Returning my head back to its original position, I lifted a large wooden box out of the closet. The outside was plain wood with a metal clamp to hold it shut. I brought the box over to the bed and sat down beside the older teen. Setting it beside, I looked up at Demyx.

"What's in that?" he asked. I giggled slightly at the completely lost look on his face.

"I will show you in a minute," I said. "You wanted to know more about my mother and Sora, right?" He nodded. "Okay then. My mother was amazing," I began. "She was the type of person who you could tell anything to. When something didn't go right, she would just laugh it off and try again. She never really forgot anyone's birthdays, even though she pretended to. She would not mention anything about our birthdays, even when it was time for bed. We never got a 'happy birthday' on the day of. The next day though, we would come down the stair in the morning to a huge surprise party. Eventually we caught on but she did it every year anyway. She was wild and crazy and fun. She always encouraged us to try new things by saying things like, 'If an old woman like me can do it, than it should be a cinch for young, energetic boys like you two!' It worked every time." I paused for a minute to look at Demyx.

"She sounds totally cool," he said. "Like the type of person everyone wants to be around. I agreed. Then I laced my fingers together in my lap and concentrated on them.

"Sora was really great too," I said, smiling slightly at the memory of my brother. "He was almost three years older than me, but we were still really close. We hardly ever fought about anything, but when we did, it was always forgotten quickly. We could never stay mad at each other." Demyx smiled a little. I kept on talking. "He looked a lot like me. There were minor differences, for example, his hair was chestnut brown, not blonde like mine. Still, people often thought we were twins." I paused for a moment to gather my thoughts a little bit. Demyx took it as his opportunity to speak.

"You keep talking about your brother in the past tense," the older blonde said. "He is still alive, isn't he?"

"Yes," I told him. "But I haven't seen him in a few years. I don't know anything about him anymore. People change, and after what happened to our family, I wouldn't be surprised if he wasn't the same happy go lucky, fun loving guy that I used to know, you follow?" Demyx nodded.

I pulled the wooden box onto my lap and opened the lid. Inside were memories of my old life. They were the only material things I had left that proved that my old life even existed. I took a photograph from the box. It was slightly crinkled, like it had been hastily shoved somewhere, and the top right corner was torn off, but it was still in pretty good shape. I handed it Demyx.

"That's Hayner, Pence, Olette, and I," I told him, pointing to each one as I said their names. I smiled slightly at the memory. The three of us were just sitting on the clock tower, our old hangout, eating sea salt ice cream, our favorite treat. "Those three were my best friends before I moved here. I haven't seen then in over two years." Demyx placed a hand on my shoulder.

"You really miss them, huh?" he said. I nodded.

"Not nearly as much as I would miss you and Axel if I had to move again though," I told him, and it was the truth. Demyx, Axel, and I had become extremely over the course of our friendship. In fact, there was only one other person I had been closer with. That person was my mother.

The next few hours were spent looking at old photos and other things I had collected in loving memory of my broken family. Demyx listened as I talked about everything that I loved and missed. As I talked, I kept thinking that even though so much had happened to me, I was still extremely lucky. I had two of the best friends I could ever ask for.


	4. Search And Rescue

**AN-** Hey guys. I don't have anything to say here but it felt weird when I stated writing without this little note so I had to write something. laughs

I quietly tiptoed past the kitchen. It had been almost a week since Demyx had found out. He hadn't told Axel yet, and I was glad. I wanted to be the one to let Axel into my world. I didn't want Demyx to tell him and I certainly didn't want him to walk in on me being raped, as the sitar player had.

My stomach growled loudly, reminding me how hungry I was. I had been denied food for the past few days and I was starving. He was punishing me for not coming home and warning me not to let Demyx tell anyone about the abuse at the same time.

I was trying to sneak out of the house. Axel had asked me to come over. When I had talked to him on the phone earlier, he hadn't told me why he needed to see me so badly. All he said was that it was really important that I come.

I tiptoed into the entryway. I smiled slightly to myself. I had made it this far. Sneaking out the door would be easy. I had done it a million times before. Unfortunately, I forgot that I had tossed my messenger bag on the floor when I came in. Usually, I bring it up to my room as soon as I get home but this time I had not. My foot caught in the shoulder strap and I fell, hitting the ground with a hard thud. I heard the sound of heavy footsteps on the tile floor and then He appeared in the doorway.

"And just where the hell do you think you're going?" he asked, an arrogant look on his face.

"I'm going to Axel's house," I told him. I tried to stand up but he put his big foot on my chest, holding me down.

"I don't think so," he said. The smirk he was wearing was scaring me a little bit. It was a pure evil smirk, one I had only seen on his face before.

I felt his hand tighten around my arm and he yanked me up. He was much more violent than he needed to be but I was used to it by then. He slammed me up against a wall and then his fingers closed around my neck. I closed my eyes. I was using all my strength not to cry. I wanted so badly to fight back. I wanted to scream at him, to make him listen. I wanted him to treat me like a father should treat his son. I couldn't though. I couldn't say a thing. The only thing I could do was stand there and take it. If I fought back, I would only make things worse for myself.

I could feel his grip tightening. I wondered if he was trying to kill me. I wasn't sure if he was sober or not, so he very well could have been attempting a second murder. I was scared. I didn't really want to die. Not this way. I was far too young! I started to shake and he smiled. Then I thought of something. I pulled back my foot and swiftly kicked his shin as hard as I could. He let out a yelp as his knees buckled and he fell to the floor, letting go of me in the process. He cursed at me.

"I have something to say," I told him. My knees were shaking slightly. He gave me an angry glare. "If I don't show up at Axel's house, he will come looking for me. I talked to him on the phone before. I told him I would be there. You don't want him to know about what you do to me, do you?" I asked. I was only half lying. I had talked to Axel before and I had told him I would be at his house. However, the redhead probably wouldn't come to look for me on a cold night like this. He would just assume I was too cold to come out, or I got tied up with something.

I looked my step-father in the face. His looked had changed. It was no longer an evil grin, but a thoughtful frown. In a flash it was back to the usual sick smile.

"Go," he said. "I will deal with you later." He spit in my face and kneed me hard in the stomach. Then he walked back into the kitchen, where I heard him sit back down at the kitchen table. I fell to my knees and coughed hard into my hands. When I pulled them away, there was blood on them. It wasn't a lot of blood, but it was still there. I stood and walked as fast as I could away from there.

I was about halfway to Axel's house when I started to feel sick. I stopped walking and doubled over, clutching my stomach. After a minute, I straightened and looked around. There was a clump of bushes a few feet ahead and off to the right. I ran over and kneeled behind them. Clutching my abdomen, I vomited. I hadn't eaten that day and it hurt so bad that I vomited again. I felt so helpless. My knees were shaking so badly that I couldn't stand up, let alone walk.

I was glad it was late. Being almost midnight, there was no one out on the streets. I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket and dialed Axel's phone number. He picked up after three rings.

"Roxas!?" he yelled into the receiver. "Where the hell are you? I told you this was important! Thanks for blowing me off!" He sounded really hurt that I was not there.

"Axel…?" I said weakly. I really hoped that he would listen to me.

"Roxas?" Axel asked after a short pause. His voice sounded worried now. "Roxas, are you alright?" I didn't want to explain this over the phone.

"Axel…I need you to come pick me up." My voice was a little stronger this time, but not much.

"Where are you?" the fire mage asked. I looked around and informed him of my whereabouts. Then I snapped the phone closed and replaced it in my pocket.

xXxX

I looked up as Axel's black mustang pulled up next to me. He called out my name as he jumped out. His voice was laced with fear. The redhead picked me up and placed me into the front seat. Then he ran around the car and got in. Ignoring the seatbelt laws, he sped towards his house.

xXxX

I felt my stomach tighten as Axel turned into the driveway. He had barely stopped the car before I flung the door open and jumped out, running to the front door and turning the handle. I was grateful to find it unlocked. Axel followed me into the house and went into the living room, while I headed to the bathroom. Not bothering to close the door, I kneeled in front of the toilet and vomited again. When I looked up, Axel was in the doorway. His face showed concern as he walked over and kneeled beside me.

"You okay?" he asked, placing his right hand on my shoulder. I nodded and stood up. Axel stood as well. I started to walk towards the door. I got about halfway there before Axel scooped me up bridal style. I flinched a bit as his arms tightened around one of my bruises. He gave me a quizzical look.

"What's the matter?" he asked. I really didn't want to explain everything to him. I didn't want to worry him.

"Wh-what do you mean?" I silently cursed myself for stuttering. "I probably just have a virus or something."

"Roxas!" Axel exclaimed, placing me on the couch. "You just threw up blood! You flinched when I picked you up!" Axel moved to lift up my shirt but I stopped him. I didn't want him to see the cuts and bruises that were all over my back and stomach.

"Roxas," Axel said softly. "Please let me look." He was looking me in the eye. I looked away and moved my hand away. I let Axel remove the shirt from my body. His eyes widened slightly at what he saw.

"Roxas…" the redhead whispered. "Who did this to you?" I couldn't bring myself to look him in the eye. I was really nervous, and I didn't know why.

"My step-dad," I whispered in a voice that was barely heard. My eyes filled with tears and Axel pulled me into a hug, making sure he was careful so he wouldn't hurt me. After a few minutes, I settled down into Axel's lap and laid my head on his shoulder. He wiped my tears with his sleeve and I told him my story. It was the same story I had told Demyx.

When I finished talking, Axel looked at me. I could see a mixture of sadness and rage in his emerald eyes. Suddenly, I remembered something.

"Axel," I asked. "Why did you want me to come here so badly tonight? What do you need to talk to me about?" Axel looked at the floor, suddenly very nervous.

"Well…I…" Axel was having a hard time getting the words out. I waited patiently. "Roxas please don't hate me," he said. I blinked a few times and gave him a confused look.

"Why would I hate you Axel?" He was still looking down.

"This is really hard for me to say. Roxas…I love you." Axel finally looked me in the eyes. He looked like he was ready for rejection.

"Axel…"

"I'm sorry," he said. He stood up but I grabbed his hand and pulled him back down. I leaned in and pressed my lips firmly to his. Pulling back slightly, I smiled.

"Why are you sorry?" I asked and he smiled. I inched closer to him and he wrapped his arms around me. I laid my head on Axels shoulder and fell asleep. I felt safe and warm in his arms. For the first time in a long time I felt like I belonged somewhere.


	5. And The Winner Is

**AN- **So sorry for the late update guys! Summer is a crazy time for me, but now that I'm back in school, I have more time to write. Please don't hate me for disappearing on you guys like that. I have returned now and I plan to make frequent updates. And now, here is chapter five!

"What time is it anyway?" I asked. I was sitting cross legged on the floor in Axel's living room. To my right, Demyx was sitting with his back against the couch. Axel, who was stretched out on the couch, was using Demyx's right shoulder as a foot rest.

"Almost five," Demyx answered. I looked down at the Game Station controller that was in my hand. The three of us had been playing video games for hours. I set the controller down beside me and took out my phone. Hitting a button on the side, I checked the front display. I was a little surprised to find I had not missed any calls. Although I was not complaining, I found it a little bit strange that my step father had not called me. Normally, if I ever spent the night somewhere, he called repeatedly until I came home. I sighed and closed the phone.

"Something wrong Rox?" Axel asked. I looked up to find the pyro giving me a strange look.

"Nope," I responded. "Everything is a okay!" I had to admit that I was in good spirits. I smiled at them.

"I'm hungry!" Demyx whined. I nodded in agreement with him. Axel looked at his watch.

"Okay," he said, getting up. "I don't have anything even close to edible in the house right now so I think we should order in." Demyx made a face.

"Can we go out?" he asked. "Please?" Axel frowned.

"I guess so…" he sighed. "If we must." Demyx made a funny noise that resembled something of a mouse when it's caught by a cat. I smiled. Even though he was in high school, Demyx still acted like a little kid most of the time. Demyx jumped up and ran out the door. Axel shook his head and smiled a little. He held his hand out to me and smiled wider as I took it. I allowed my boyfriend to pull me up and kiss me lightly on the nose. Then the two of us walked hand in hand outside to where Demyx was waiting not so patiently by the car.

xXxX

Breathing in deeply, I took in the scene before me. Demyx, who had finished eating long before Axel and I, was sitting on the inside of the booth across the table from me. Beside him sat Axel. We were in a small family, style diner. Demyx poked Axel in the ribs, causing the pyro to drop his fork.

"Are you done yet?" the water mage asked. Axel sighed a little but smiled. Demyx's ADHD was getting the better of him.

"Yes Demyx, I'm done. We can go now." Axel stated as he got up. The older blonde quickly slid out of the booth and ran out the door.

"Remind me again why we take him out in public?" I asked as Axel and I walked to the front to pay. Axel laughed.

"Because if we left him behind, he would destroy the house looking for something to do."

"Oh yea," I laughed. That sounded like Demyx to me. "Are you paying of should I?"

"I am," Axel told me as we approached the counter. He handed the cashier our bill.

"Well hello there," she said in a fluttery voice as she took the paper form him.

"Hi," Axel answered in a voice that clearly said 'I'm not interested'. Apparently she couldn't take a hint.

"Are you busy tonight?" she asked. "I get off at nine." She made a loud popping sound with her gum as she stared at him, waiting for a reply.

Not wanting to be rude, he said, "No, I already have plans for tonight." Any normal person would have figured out by now that he was not interested. The peroxide blonde at the counter however, had not.

"Oh, that's too bad," she said. Then she grabbed a slip of paper off a shelf behind her and picked up a pen. "That will be twenty four thirty nine, by the way." Axel nodded and took out a ten and a five dollar bill. The cashier was now bent over the paper, and was writing something down. A few seconds later, she looked up.

"Here," Axel said as he handed her the money. As he did, she put the paper into his hands.

"That's my cell number. I get off at nine every night this week. Call me sometime," she told him. At this point I was really getting pissed. I didn't mind that I was being ignored by the blonde. What really bothered me was that she didn't know when to stop. Maybe it was all that peroxide seeping into her brain.

"Hey!" I said, stepping in front of Axel. "Isn't it obvious that he doesn't want to date a bimbo like you?" She looked offended but I didn't really care. Axel was trying to suppress a smile.

"Excuse me?" she said as calmly as she could. It was apparent that she wanted to keep her job.

"You heard me bitch," I said. "Do I have to spell it out for you?" It was becoming harder for Axel to keep a straight face. The blonde didn't notice that though. She was too busy looking angrily at me.

"Shut the hell up," she said in a low voice. "I know you're jealous but you are just going to have to face the facts. He is better looking than you, get over it." I snorted in a failed attempt to hold back laughter.

"Jealous? You think I'm jealous? Why would I be…"

"Because I'm beautiful, smart, and rich," she cut me off.

"A bottle of peroxide and colored contacts don't make a person beautiful," I said. "If you were smart, you would have figured out that he doesn't want you on your own, and I wouldn't have to waste my time telling you. And you may be rich, but you don't impress us." She narrowed her eyes and put her hands on her hips.

"I don't believe I was trying to impress you," she said. "I was simply…"

"Trying to score with him," I cut her off, pointing to Axel as I did so. "Well guess what, he doesn't want you."

"Oh yea?" She asked.

"Yea," I answered back, just to annoy her more. She looked up at Axel.

"What do you say?" she asked in a flirty voice. "I'm gorgeous, you're sexy. Let's hook up."

"I don't think so you little whore," the redhead answered. He put the paper with her number down on the counter. Then he turned to me and kissed me passionately. "I'm gay and taken." Her jaw dropped.

"You're not gay!" she said firmly. "You just did that because…" She paused for a second. "Because he made you!" She pointed to me. I rolled my eyes and glanced down at her name tag.

"Look Namine, I don't know what you're smoking but he kissed me."

"No!" she practically yelled. "It was all you blondie!"

"At least I'm a natural blonde," I said calmly. She opened her mouth to speak again but Axel stopped her.

"I said no. I'm taken, and it's by my own free will. Frankly, I don't see why I have to explain this to you."

"But…" she started.

"But nothing. I am going to say this one more time. I don't want to go out with you. I don't like you. You're very rude and obnoxious." The pyro told her.

"I'm rude?" she asked, her face getting slightly red. It was obvious that she wasn't used to being rejected. Axel nodded. "What about him!?" she pointed to me. "The things he said to me were beyond rude!" Axel turned and started walking towards the door, me at his side. Namine ran around the counter and followed us.

"Axel…" I said.

"Let her follow," he said as we walked out the door.

"There you are!" Demyx yelled. "What took you so long? I was bored!" Axel pointed to Namine, who was coming out the door, and filled him in on the situation. Just as Namine was about to reach Axel, Demyx stepped in between her and the redhead. She tried to push the sitarist out of her way. Demyx however, was not about to move. He smiled sweetly at her.

"I could settle for you," she said, returning the sweet smile. Demyx's sweet smile curled up into an evil one. He raised his hand back and slapped her across the face.

"You lose bitch!" he yelled. The three of us held our laughter in until we got into the car. As soon as all the doors were firmly shut, we started cracking up.

"That was awesome Dem!" I said, slapping him a high five. As we pulled out of the parking lot, I realized how much Axel really did love me. He stayed loyal to me without hesitation. For that, I was thankful.

**AN-** Hey guys. I just want to say that I'm really sorry if I offended anyone here. I have nothing against blondes, and I have nothing against Namine. I didn't mean any harm by this chapter; the scene seemed to fit nicely. Basically, the only reason her name is Namine is because that was the only name I could think of. Once again, I hope I didn't offend anyone….Please don't hurt me!


	6. Friendship Is Found In Unexpected Places

**AN-**Hey guys! I got a couple of great reviews from the last chapter. I'm so happy that people are still reading. I love hearing that I'm doing a good job and that people think I should keep writing. Thank you guys so much! Also, if you guys see something that you think I should change, write it in a review. I read every single one and I am always open for improvement. Also, if you have a question, write it in a review or send me a message! I promise I will answer it. One more thing. I'm not sure when but in an upcoming chapter [could be this one, I don't really know yet there will be a point of view switch. It will only be for that one section but in that section, it would be too confusing to write from Roxas' point of view. Okay, enough on my babbling. Here is chapter six!

Axel pulled the car into Demyx's driveway. I looked down at my phone again and sighed softly. Axel, who was busy putting the car in park, didn't notice. Demyx however, did. He placed a hand gently on my shoulder. "He still hasn't called?" the water mage asked. I shook my head, signaling no. "Well then don't worry about it!" he shouted and flung open his car door. As soon as Axel stopped the car, he jumped out and bounded up the walkway to open the door. I moved to get out of the car, but Axel stopped me.

"Has your phone been on all day?" he asked me. I nodded. "And he knows your number?" I nodded again. "Then I wouldn't worry about it too much." I sighed.

"I guess you're right," I said as I got out of the car.

"Of course I'm right," the matchstick said, flashing me a warm smile. At that moment, Demyx poked his head out the door. He opened his mouth to say something, but instead made a gargling noise and his head disappeared. A second later, Larxene's head replaced her brothers.

"Get in here!" she shouted. Then her head disappeared. I half expected the door to slam, but it didn't. I smiled brightly at Axel and took off up the walk, the redhead not far behind.

xXxX

As soon as I walked in the door, a blur of golden fur shot through the kitchen door and jumped on me. I stayed upright this time, not as startled by the dog as I had been. Larxene, who was still standing in the entryway, grabbed the dog by his collar. "MUTT!" she screamed as she pulled the puppy down. I had to suppress a giggle as I turned to look at the blonde girl.

"Larxene, I really don't mind," I told her. She sighed and looked down at me.

"I know Roxas, but Mutt has to learn not to jump. He is getting bigger and soon he is going to start hurting people. When he gets to be full size, he will be big enough to knock you over Rox," she said. I was a little surprised that she hadn't yelled at me. Then she turned to Demyx. "Next time call me when you are coming home so I can lock him in my room!" Demyx looked down.

"Sorry Larz," he said.

"Yea, whatever." She said in an annoyed tone. Axel, who was standing behind me in the doorway, smiled at the irritated blonde.

"Lighten up, will ya Larz?" he asked. She looked past he brother to glare at Axel.

"I will not lighten up!" she snapped. "How can I lighten up when my brother is such a scatter brained mess that he can't even remember to call me when he is on his way home?" She placed her hands on her hips and continued to glare.

"It's not the end of the world you know," Axel countered.

"Whatever," she answered. "And close that dam door!" Axel stepped into the front room and closed the door. He muttered an apology to the girl. Larxene called to her dog and stormed out of the entryway, stomping loudly up the stairs seconds later. I gave the dog a quick pat on the head before it loyally followed after Larxene.

"Well that was interesting," Axel said after hearing the blonde girl's bedroom door slam. Demyx laughed and nodded in agreement.

"Well guys, what do you want to do?" Demyx asked us. Axel shrugged his shoulders.

"Let's watch a movie," I suggested. Demyx's face lit up and Axel shrugged again.

"Why not?" the redhead said. "We have nothing better to do." Demyx clapped his hands together and ran over to the wall that contained the DVD shelf. I walked over and stood beside him. Demyx had always been big into movies, so there was a pretty large selection.

"Horror or comedy?" the musician asked.

"Comedy," Axel and I answered in unison. Demyx laughed.

"Comedy it is then," he announced. "Roxas, you pick it." I nodded and scanned the selection. A few minutes later, I had selected 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off' from the shelf. I handed it to Demyx and sat on the couch. I waited as Demyx put the movie into the DVD player and Axel made popcorn. A few minutes later, we were all squished onto Demyx's couch, enjoying the movie and eating popcorn together.

xXxX

About half way through the movie, I was getting a little bored. I told my two friends that I was going to the bathroom, and not to pause the movie. I had seen it a million times. As I made my way up the stairs, I heard loud music coming from down the hall. Instead of going into the bathroom like I had intended, I continued down the hall and stopped in front of Larxene's room. I knocked softly.

"Larz?" I asked through the closed door. "It's Roxas. Can I come in?"

"Go away!" she shouted back. "This is my room! You have no business here!" I sighed.

"I'm sorry," I said. "I didn't mean to bother you."

"Well you did!" she shouted as I turned and started to walk back down the hall. I got about half way back when I heard the door open. I turned around to see Larxene standing in the hallway. "Roxas wait," she said. "Come in." I was shocked. I was not expecting that. Larxene was always so bitchy and rude, but now she was being nice to me. I walked back to her room and followed her in. I looked around. The walls, black with bright yellow trim, were decorated with pictures and posters of various bands. Most of them were rock and punk bands, with a few others mixed in. In the corner of the room was a hammock. In the hammock there was a black throw blanket. White Christmas lights formed a border around the ceiling trim, and black lights were placed in random places around the room. There was a decent sized dresser in the far corner. The top of it was littered with a bunch of stuff that I had never seen before, a sketchbook, a few pencils, and a paperback novel. I also noticed a large couch along the back wall and a rolling chair by the door.

"Nice room," I said. She smiled one of her rare smiles.

"Thanks," she said. "Now, is there something I can help you with? I highly doubt you came up here just to chill."

"What makes you say that?" I asked her.

"Why would you hang here with me when your two best friends are sitting right downstairs? I'm not exactly the nicest person in the world."

"True," I said, "but I still consider you a friend." I told her. She half smiled.

"Seriously now, why are you up here?" I sighed and looked down.

"Well…" I started, trying to figure out how to word what I wanted to say. She was patient while I thought. "My home life isn't so great," I finally said. "Usually when I am even a few minutes late getting home after school, I get a phone call. I have been out for over twenty-four hours and still haven't received a phone call." I looked up at the older girl. She looked a bit worried.

"What do you mean when you say your home life isn't the best…?" she asked. I mentally kicked myself. I had already told two people. I trusted them not to tell anyone. I didn't want this getting out. Now I was going to have to tell another person.

"It's nothing," I told her. "Forget I said anything." I turned and started to walk over to the door but Larxene stepped in front of the door, blocking my only way out. I sighed. There was no way she was going to let me get away without telling her something. I fell to my knees. The blonde girl kneeled down beside me and placed a hand gently on my back.

"Roxas," she said, "you don't have to tell me if you really don't want to. I just wish you would. Despite my bitchy manor, I really do care about the people I call my friends. That includes you. I'm worried." I sighed softly and looked at the floor.

"I get beaten," I told her. That would be enough for now. She didn't need to know the whole story. At least not yet. Her eyes went wide. I shot her a death glare.

"If you tell anyone about this…" I started, and then trailed off.

"I…I wont," she said. I could tell she didn't want to say it, but she felt like she had to keep my secret. The look on her face told me that she thought if she told anyone, she would be betraying my trust. In a way, she would be. I looked at the floor for a second, then back at Larxene, this time smiling.

"Do you sleep in there?" I asked, pointing to the hammock. She nodded.

"It's comfy," she told me. "I like the rocking motion, it puts me to sleep."

"That's pretty cool," I noted. I thought briefly about my own room. "I just have a regular spring mattress. It keeps me awake for the most part. It's really uncomfortable." Larxene made a noise that sounded like a cat purring and placed her hand on my shoulder. She stood there for a few moments, completely silent. "Uh…Larz?" I asked her. Suddenly, she pulled me into a tight hug.

"I'm so sorry you have to go through that!" she half said, half shouted. I jumped a bit at the unexpectedness. I was slightly shocked to feel a tear slid down my face. I buried my face in Larxene's chest. The blonde girl just sat there hugging me. When she finally released me, the two of us looked up to see Demyx and Axel standing in the doorway.

"Movie's over Rox," Demyx said. "We were getting a bit worried about you."

"What are you doing up here?" Axel asked. "Is everything okay?" I nodded.

"I'm fine," I told them. "I was getting bored of the movie and I wanted to talk to someone."

"How come you didn't talk to us?" the fire mage asked.

"I didn't want to disturb you guys. You looked pretty into the movie."

"Its not like we haven't seen it eight bazillion times already," Demyx said. Axel nodded in agreement.

"What's wrong with talking to me?" Larxene snapped. I was starting to see a pattern. Around her brother, Larxene acted like a total bitch. When he was not around however, she was really sweet. I think she felt that since she was older, even if it is only by three minutes, she was supposed to be like a guardian to Demyx because their parents were never home.

"Nothing," Demyx began, "he just likes me better." Larxene opened her mouth to counter, but I stopped her.

"Larz, there is no point in arguing with him." Then I turned to look at Demyx. "Demyx, I know I can talk to you and Axel about anything. This particular time chose to talk to Larxene. You were watching a movie. And besides that, I already talked to you two about the issue. You didn't offer very helpful advice." Demyx and Axel both stared at me.

"You're okay though, right?" Axel finally asked. I nodded and gave him two thumbs up. "Alright then. Are you finished talking to Larxene?"

"Almost," I answered. "I need a few more minutes." Axel nodded.

"Come on Demyx," he told the water lover. Demyx looked at Axel with big, innocent eyes.

"But…" he started but Axel cut him off.

"No buts! Leave Roxas and your sister alone for a minute. They don't want you listening in on their conversation. If this was a conversation for you to hear, they would be having it in the living room."

"No!" Demyx shouted. "Larxene would never…" I didn't hear the rest of the sentence due to the fact that Axel had grabbed our chatty friend by the shirt collar and dragged him out of the room, closing the door behind them.

"He is something else," the blonde girl said, rolling her eyes slightly.

"Indeed he is," I agreed. "I guess that's why I like hanging out with him. It's never boring." Larxene nodded.

"I guess that's true," she said. I sat down on a beanbag chair that I had just noticed in the corner behind the door. "Now Roxas, what was it that you wanted to say?"

"Just…thanks," I told her. "I'm glad I got to talk to you one on one." She smiled at me. I was staring to see a lot of her smile.

"You're welcome kid," she said. "Anytime you have a problem you don't want to discuss with my hyperactive brother or Axel, you are welcome to come talk to me if you want. Even if you just want to chat, come on up." I looked up into her blue green eyes and smiled.

"Thanks Larz," I said. "This really means a lot to me. And the same goes for you. If you ever need to talk, I will always listen."

"Thank you Roxas. You are one of the few people I would feel comfortable talking to about my problems. Especially now, after you came to me for help. I really know I can trust you." I smiled at the blonde girls compliment.

"Just one thing though. If you ever need me, call my cell phone. Please don't ever call the house phone," I warned. I assumed Larxene was alright with that because she nodded. Then her face turned serious.

"I have a cell phone as well Roxas. If you ever need me late at night, you can call it, no matter the time. Between six in the morning and nine at night, call the house. Any other time, call my cell phone," she said. "That way, we don't wake anyone else up." I nodded.

"Thanks again Larz," I told her. "Do you have a paper I can write my number on?" She nodded and handed me a bright green sticky note. As I wrote down my number, Larxene took another sticky note and wrote down her own cell number. I stuck my number to the door when I was done and she stuck hers to my nose. I laughed a little.

"Just so you don't lose it," she informed me.

"I don't think I will lose it there," I said. "However, Demyx will probably steal it form me if I keep it there."

"Oh yea, I didn't think of that. I could only imagine what he would say," she said.

"I know, right?" I giggled. "Well, I better get back downstairs. I don't know how much longer they are going to wait patiently for me." She nodded. "And this conversation never happened."

"Don't worry so much Roxas," she said. "Your secret is safe with me. I won't tell a soul." I nodded and stood up. Walking over to the door, I placed my hand on the knob. I was about to open it when I caught sight of Larxene crossing the room. I smiled as she reached me and pulled me into a tight hug. When she released me, I silently pulled open her door and headed for the stairs.

xXxX

As soon as I walked into the living room, I was startled as Demyx yelled my name and tackled me. We both fell backwards and I got caught under my much bigger friend.

"Get off!" I shouted and clawed at his stomach.

"Make me!" Demyx yelled. An evil grin spread across his face. After a long struggle, I finally managed to wiggle free. I stood up and ran over to the couch, swatting Demyx in the back of the head as I went by him. Then I settled down on the couch next to Axel. I was glad the three of us could hang out and have fun together, and I wished it would never end.

**AN-** Longer chapter this time. I hope you all like this one. I wanted to do something with Larxene. See? She isn't a bitch ALL the time…Just to let you all know, I do love Larxene. She is one tough bitch to put up with all those guys all the time, ya know? Anyways, until next time! Please review, it will make me happy! 3


	7. Listen To Your Heart

**AN- **Yay, I finally got motivated! It's my lunch block and I'm really bored so I decided to write. Thanks for the reviews on the last chapter. The more I get the faster I write. 3 Yupp, I'm evil like that. Alright, I'll stop talking now and let you people read.

"ROXAS!" I jumped at the sound of my name. I turned around and flashed my friends a reassuring smile as they pulled away from my house. Then I quickly closed the front door. "Where the hell have you been!?" my step dad yelled. I looked up to see him leaning in the doorway that led from the entryway into the living room.

"I was out," I said. I didn't want him to know exactly where I was. I knew he wouldn't remember when I had been going when I left a few days ago. Because he was drunk all the time, it was a rare occasion when he remembered anything, let alone something as small as that. I didn't want to put my friends in danger so I was going to try to keep their names out of this conversation.

"Out where?" he asked, as he straightened up and stumbled toward me. This was not good. He was so drunk, he could barely walk. There was no telling what he would do.

"Just out," I told him. A twisted smile spread across his face and I took a step back. He raised his hand into the air and I took a few more steps backwards, until I hit the door. I closed my eyes and seconds later, he brought his hand down. My skin stung as his hand made contact.

"Are you ready to tell me where you were?" he asked. I shook my head no and he slapped me again. I remained silent still. "Alright then," he said. "Have it your way." He grabbed my head and slammed it hard into the door behind me. I shrieked loudly and slid to the floor. He kicked me hard in the stomach.

"Bastard!" I screamed, clutching my stomach. He growled and bent down.

"What was that?" he asked, blowing in my face. The smell of alcohol on his breath made me gag. He grabbed a handful of my hair and straightened up, pulling me with him. When I was up, he slammed his left hand into the center of my chest. Then he let go of my hair and punched me in the jaw with his right hand. Not expecting the blow, I was momentarily stunned, allowing him to hit me again. The third time he pulled back, I was ready. I moved my head to the side so his fist made contact with the door. He yelled in pain and let go of me. I took this opportunity to kick him in the knee and run as fast as I could up the stairs to my bedroom. When I got there, I shut and locked the door. Then I ran into the small bathroom in the back of my room and closed that door, locking it as well. Tears fell down my face as I sat down on the sink and pulled out my cell phone. I flipped it open and dialed Larxene's cell number. It rang twice before she picked it up.

"Roxas?" she said into the phone as soon as she picked up.

"Hi Larz," I said. She knew immediately that something was wrong.

"Are you crying?" she asked. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," I told her as calmly as I could. "I just wanted to make sure this was the right number. Obviously it is so have a nice night!" With that, I hung up. I tossed the phone onto the floor and jumped off the counter. Turning around, I opened the medicine cabinet. Reaching onto the top shelf, I pulled down a razor blade. More tears fell as I sat on the floor with my back against the wall. I brought my knees to my chest and the sharp blade to the skin of my wrist. I sat like that for a few minutes, not moving. I couldn't believe it had come to this again. I had promised myself a few years back that I would never cut again. It had become really bad back then and I never wanted to go through that pain again. I moved the blade away from my wrist.

"You're weak," I whispered to myself as I closed my eyes and brought the blade down, slicing open my wrist. I opened my eyes. Everything looked foggy. I dropped the blade onto the floor. The fresh wound was already gushing blood. The sight of the blood made my stomach turn a bit. I reached up with my clean hand and felt around on the counter for a rag. Finding nothing, I began to panic. My clothes and the floor were covered in my bright red blood. I didn't know what to do. I looked down at my wrist again. A feeling of nausea came over me and I quickly looked away. The room seemed to be spinning. I leaned my head against the wall behind me. Suddenly, I was surrounded in a peaceful darkness.

**Larxene's POV **

[AN- This is the part I warned you about. The story is told from Larxene's perspective for this part. Also, it starts when Roxas hangs up the phone.

I held onto the phone for a few minutes, trying to figure out what that was all about. I found it a bit strange that he would want to test the number. I snapped my phone shut and threw it onto the bed. Pushing the thought out of my mind, I crossed my room and opened the door. Stepping out into the hallway, I thought about what Roxas had said to me the night before.

'_I get beaten.' _His words repeated over and over in my head. I was beginning to get really worried. I walked down the hall to Demyx's bedroom. Pushing open the door, I discovered that it was empty. I quickened my pace a bit and headed down the stairs to the living room. There I found Demyx zoning out in front of the television. I walked over to him and brought my hand down on his shoulder. At the same time I said his name rather loudly in his ear. He jumped up and quickly turned around.

"Larxene!" he shouted angrily. "What the heck is your problem!?"

"I had a good reason," I told him.

"Yea yea," he whined, flopping back down at the same time. "That's what you always say."

"Shut up Demyx. I think Roxas is in trouble." Demyx immediately looked up at me with concerned eyes.

"What kind of trouble?" he asked.

"I'm not quite sure," I told him. I told Demyx about the strange phone call I had gotten. Demyx stood up again.

"That's not good," he said in a low voice.

"Thank you Sherlock, would you like a cookie?" I said back sarcastically. Demyx rolled his eyes.

"Shut up Larxene. This is a serious matter!" Demyx practically yelled. This was pretty typical behavior for us. Whenever we were nervous, Demyx tended to raise his voice and I used more sarcasm than usual.

"I know Dem," I said as calmly as I could. "We have to stop arguing so much. Roxas could be in serious danger. If we are fighting, we are never going to be able to help him." Demyx nodded.

"Wow Larxene," he started, "for once I have to agree with you." I smiled a bit and placed my hand on his shoulder.

"Let's go," I said. Walking into the entryway, I grabbed my keys and a light jacket. Then I headed out the door and got into my beat up old Chevy. Demyx slid into the passenger seat beside me.

xXxX

As soon as I stepped into Roxas' house, I knew something was wrong. The house was dead silent. I couldn't here the television or a radio. I also noticed that the heat vent wasn't buzzing like it normally was. I shivered a bit, realizing that the heat was not on. I also noticed that there was no one around. There was no sign of Roxas or his step father anywhere. I turned to Demyx.

"Where is the heat control?" I asked him. He shrugged.

"Why are you asking me?"

"Because you have been here before," I half said in an exasperated tone. "Never mind." I walked into the living room. Much like the entryway and kitchen, it too was silent and empty. I spotted the heat control on the wall in the hallway leading out. I crossed the room and entered the hallway, walking swiftly over to the small panel. I quickly flipped the switch. The familiar buzz filled the room as the heat kicked on.

"Problem one, solved!" Demyx shouted. I rolled my eyes.

"That was the least of our problems," I told him. "Now, onto our next, much larger problem. Where is Roxas?" I called out the blonde boy's name. I was greeted with silence. I tried again. Getting no response, Demyx and I split up and started to search the ground floor of the decently large house. About ten minutes later, we both ran into the living room through opposite doors.

"No luck?" he asked when we met in the center of the large room.

"Take a wild guess," I said, not even trying to keep the sarcasm out of my voice. I knew we had to work together to help our friend but if Demyx was going to ask questions like that, I had to answer with sarcasm. I mean seriously. It was pretty obvious that I hadn't found him. Demyx really didn't need to ask.

"Okay sarcastic," Demyx said. "I will keep looking down here. You check upstairs. Meet me back here in five minutes if you haven't found him yet. If you do find him, yell for me. I will do the same." I nodded. I had to admit, it was a good plan. I was surprised that Demyx could keep himself together enough to think of that at a time like this.

"Okay, gotcha!" I said and ran off towards the stairs. When I reached the top I looked around. I noticed that all of the doors were closed. Walking up to the first one, I opened it and peered inside. It looked like a bedroom. There was a bed in one corner and a dresser in another. There were two doors in the room aside from the one I had just entered. Both were closed. Crossing the room, I opened one of the two doors. Behind it I found a bathroom. It was small, containing only a single stall shower, a toilet, and a sink. It took me only a second to figure out that Roxas was not in there. I closed the door and walked the short distance to the other door. Upon opening it, I realized that it was a small closet. However, there was only a bar and a shelf inside. No clothes hung from the bar and no possessions sat on the shelf. Above all, no Roxas sat on the floor. I wasn't expecting to find him in a closet anyway. I closed the closet door and took one more look around the room. I noticed that the bed was neatly made up and few things were in the room. It looked like no one had lived in there for a while.

As I stepped back into the hallway, I made a mental note to ask Roxas about that room when we found him. Proceeding into the next room, I pushed the thought from my mind. As soon as I entered, I knew that the room belonged to Roxas' step dad. The floor was littered with alcohol bottles, some half full, others empty. There was an ash tray on a night stand by the large bed. I wrinkled my nose. It smelled like alcohol and sex, the smoky smell of the cigarettes mixed in as well. There was only one door in this room, and it was wide open. It was a bathroom. It was much larger than the one in the previous room. There was a full bath in this one, as well as a sink, toilet, and small towel closet. I walked around the perimeter of the room to make sure Roxas wasn't in there, then quickly left, closing the door tightly behind me.

Directly across the hall there was another room. I turned around and tried the door. It was locked. My heart skipped a beat. I dug into my right, back pocket and pulled out a bobby pin. I stuck the pin into the hole on the handle and twisted it around a bit. Finally I heard the lock click. Replacing the pin in my pocket, I opened the door and entered the room. I looked around. I had a hunch that this room belonged to Roxas. Looking around, I saw there was only two possible ways out. One was the small window on the wall opposite the bed. Walking over to it, I tried to push it open. It was locked. There was no way anyone could have gone out that window and locked it up again from the outside. It also occurred to me that there was nothing that the escapee could have stood on or climbed down, and the distance between the ground and the window was too large to jump. I turned and walked over to the door. Trying the handle, I found that this door was also locked. I called out Roxas' name. Getting no answer, I took out my bobby pin. I picked the lock as quickly as I could, and then pushed open the door. What I saw frightened me. The floor was covered in bright red blood. I could tell by the color that the blood was fresh. In the corner lay Roxas. I could see the wound on his wrist. It was gushing blood. Roxas' eyes were closed and there was a razor blade on the floor not far from him. I ran from the room. As soon as I reached the top of the stairs I leaned over the railing and called for Demyx.

"Larxene?" he asked, appearing at the bottom. "Did you find him?" I nodded. Demyx bolted up the stairs.

"He is in there," I said and pointed at the room. "In the bathroom." Demyx ran past me and into the room. I followed closely behind. Demyx kneeled at the blonde boy's side. I stood in the bathroom doorway. My head was a little foggy. It was obvious to me what he had done. I knew the reason he had cut himself was because of his step dad but I couldn't help the guilty feeling that was creeping into my mind.

"It's my fault," I said quietly. My brother looked up at me.

"Larz..." he said. I could see sadness and pain in his eyes. "This isn't your fault." I shook my head.

"Yes it is!" I shouted. "I shouldn't have let him hang up the phone! I knew something was wrong and I just let him hang up!" I was going into hysterics. My knees started to shake uncontrollably. I was talking fast and not really listening to what I was saying.

"Larxene…" Demyx said in a calm voice.

"I hurt him Demyx! I might as well of held the knife ad sliced him myself!"

"Larxene…" Demyx tried again to pull me back into reality. I wasn't listening.

"What if he dies? I don't want him to die! I will miss him too much! He can't die! He is too young! I killed him! He was just a kid!"

"LARXENE!" Demyx yelled my name as loudly as he could. I fell silent and looked into his face. "It's going to be okay. He isn't dead and this isn't your fault. You had no way of knowing what he was going to do. He sounded okay when he called, right?" I nodded.

"Then it's not your fault. What he did was his decision, not yours." I fell to my knees. Demyx came over to me and hugged me tight.

"How do we help him?" I asked weakly. I still felt a little dizzy.

"Call 911," Demyx told me. "Do you have your phone?" I nodded and pulled it from my pocket. Flipping I called and explained the situation. I waited for them to tell me it was alright to hang up before turning back to my brother and Roxas. Demyx had taken off his t shirt and was using it as a bandage to apply pressure to Roxas' wound.

"Should I call Axel?" I asked, remembering the blonde's pyro maniac boyfriend.

"Not yet," Demyx said. "He will worry. That would be bad." I nodded, realizing that he was right.

"I will go wait on the porch for the paramedics than," I told him. I wanted to get away from this bloody scene as soon as possible.

"Good idea," Demyx said without looking up. If I didn't see it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed that my brother could be so calm. Especially in a situation like this one. It was quite shocking. "When they get here, show them up here as quickly as possible." I nodded and went down to the porch.

I sat down on the porch railing but immediately stood up. I was too nervous to stay seated. I started pacing up and down the length of the porch. It was a pretty decent sized porch. The wood was rotting slightly and the stairs looked like they could use replacing. I looked down as I paced. I didn't look up until I heard the scream of the sirens piercing the air. An ambulance and two police cars pulled up to the house. I watched as the ambulance driver and a cop got out and ran toward me. The other paramedics scrambled it get equipment out of the ambulance. I turned to the two men in front of me.

"Where are we needed?" the ambulance driver asked. By this time the others had their equipment and were ready to go wherever I told them the emergency was.

"Follow me," I said and ran into the house. They followed closely behind me as I ran up the stairs and into the room where Roxas and Demyx were. Demyx moved aside as they loaded the small blonde onto a stretcher and strapped him in place. Demyx had already bandaged up his wrists to slow the bleeding. The two of us stepped aside to make room for the medics to bring Roxas out of the room and down the stairs. Once they were out, me followed. At the bottom so the stairs, one of the medics came up to us.

"Where are this boy's guardians?" he asked.

"One is dead, the other is MIA," Demyx answered. I nodded.

"The one that is missing," the guy started. Demyx cut him off.

"No, don't even try to find him. He is abusive in more ways than one. Rox hates him." The guy raised an eye.

"Who is Rox?" he asked. Demyx pointed to Roxas as they loaded him into the ambulance.

"Ah," the medic responded. "Alright then, are you his siblings?"

"No," Demyx said. "We are his cousins."

"Alright, get in." The medic walked around to the front of the ambulance and got into the passenger side. Demyx and I climbed into the back and sat beside Roxas. On the other side of him, a paramedic was making sure he stayed as stable as possible. I sighed. I couldn't believe this was what his life had come to. This couldn't be the end. He had to survive.

"I have faith," I whispered as the ambulance pulled away from the house.

**AN-** Alright, I know it took me a long time to do upload. Please don't hurt me. I have actually had it written for a while but I had to edit it and post it. I kept forgetting. And in the beginning I had no motivation to finish the chapter. But now it's all done and posted for your reading pleasure. Please don't kill me for the lateness. I will try my best to get the next chapter up as quickly as possible. Thank you for sticking with me on this. 3 I love you all! Please take a minute to write me a nice little review. It really helps me out a lot. Thank you!


	8. ANPlease Dont Hate MePlease Read!

**AN-** Hey guys…I am soooo sorry! I know it seems like I have abandoned you guys again…I didn't. I'm still here and I plan on continuing with this fic. I do live this fic just as much as you guys do so don't worry. The reason I have not updated in soooo long is because of school. I know that in the summer I said that as soon as school started back up, I would have all the time in the world and I could write chapters every week or so. I guess I was wrong…sweat drop When the year started off, I was able to write a lot and I did post a pretty long chapter. Everything was going great until I failed the first test of the year in Spanish. After that things started to go downhill. I don't know what happened but all my grades started slipping and I became really depressed. That made me really stressed as well and I came down with an illness. I don't know much about it but I do know that it has something to do with a change in my blood and it was caused by stress. I have a lot of pain in my arms and knees, my stomach and head hurt all the time, and I can't eat much at all. I'm lucky if I can get down two meals a day…So yea, that's why I have been away. I'm still sick but it isn't as bad as it was. I am going to update as soon as I can and I hope you guys can forgive me. I'm still depressed but not as badly as I was before. I hope to get better soon. Until then, don't quit on me…

Ryu ♥


	9. Another ANPlease read!

AN- Hey guys…Wow…I knew it has been a long time since I last updated but almost seven months

**AN-** Hey guys…Wow…I knew it has been a long time since I last updated but almost seven months!? Where did all the time go…? I'm so sorry guys! Do I even have any readers left? I wouldn't be surprised if you've all given up hope of my return and I am just writing these little notes to no one…-Ponders this thought- Well, if I do have any loyal readers left, send a review my way. You guys are the best and I still have not abandoned you! Even though it has been seven months, I am still alive and kicking! If I can't update the fic just yet, the least I can do is give you an update on my life, what's going on, and where the heck I have been. Okay, let's start with the illness that I mentioned in my last note. It is very much better now. I do get the occasional stress stomach ache, but that doesn't happen too often. I can eat pretty normally again and these days my typical reaction to too much stress is to throw my hands up and scream, rather then fall on the floor and cry out it pain like I did before. School lets out in nine days so hopefully I can get some writing done for this fic soon. Ohh! Also, I have started another story on a different site. I know you must be thinking that I am crazy…Probably because I am…! Anyway, I couldn't post it here because it is about my original characters but I posted it on Deviant Art so if you want to read it, go to and my username is Raxil-Fluff. I will post a link to my page in my profile. And I also have a MySpace page. Come bother me there about updating! XD /painxhatexlies Anyway, that's about all I have to say other than PLEASE DON'T HURT ME! And more should be up soon.

Ryu


	10. Author Note I'm sorry!

Heyy everyone. God, it's been AGES since I've been here. I know you're all expecting some information about when my stories will be updated so I have that for you. It probably wont be the answer you want to hear, though. I'm sorry to tell you that I dont think I will ever finish Fire and Ice or Be My Escape. I dont plan on writing another chapter for either of those ever again. Truth be told, I'm just not into Kingdom Hearts as much as I used to be. I havent completely left the fandom, but I'm definitely not into it enough to write fan fiction anymore. On top of that, it's just been so long since I've even looked at these stories that I cant even remember what's going on in them. I'd have to re-read them, which is something I dont really care to do anymore. I'm sorry to disappoint anyone who still follows these stories but I just cant do it anymore.

My current fandom is South Park. I MAY write some fan fiction for that and post it here, but after this whole thing, I'm kind of afraid. I dont want this to happen again, where I have people reading and really into my fic and then leave for a million years, only to come back and announce that I wont be finishing them. I dont know if I'll ever post anything here again after this. I know, I know. I suck. But I will say this. If I write any South Park stuff, I will post it on my DeviantART account. I also post my original stories there. Ya hear that, guys? I write stories about my ORIGINAL CHARACTERS! And they're posted on my DeviantART! So if you're interested in my stories still, go check it out. I also have drawings there. Bet you didnt know I was an ARTIST too! I didnt know either until about a year ago. I was bored in class one day so I picked up my pencil and doodled a kitty boy on my notes. The guy sitting next to me leaned over and told me I was pretty good, so I turned it into a full sketch, cleaned it up, inked it, and coloured it with my coloured pencils. Ever since then I've been drawing. Wow, that was a pointless story. Well anyway, here's my DeviantART page.

.com/

Maybe if you mention my pen name I'll draw something for you. It's RyuichixTatsuha, by the way. It's gotta be that one because I use that name for this site only, so I know that anyone who gives me that actually read this instead of guessing one of my other names, which I use on multiple sites. Well, that's about all I've got to say. I'll post this on both stories as well because most people probably dont read my profile. Feel free to send me messages and stuff, by the way. I'm not leaving the site, I'm just not posting my stuff here anymore. I'm still going to be on here, though, reading other people's stories and replying to messages. Once again, I'm sorry it came to this. I hope no one hates me now.... 


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